The Untold Stories of Alan and Melody
by MX5
Summary: Contains a series of mini adventures about my favorite duo of the Blues Brothers. Second chapter updated-Alan's father died and though Melody supported him through all of the grief and funeral preparations, he begins to sink into a depression.
1. Chapter 1

Untold Stories of Alan and Melody

Story 1: Set Fire To The Rain/The First Breakup

Set In the first two months of them dating

"Goddamn you!" Alan snarled. "Five minutes I'm back and I see you gettin' cozy with that son of a bitch loser!" he picked up his car keys he'd left on Melody's end table and shoved them into his pocket angrily as his girlfriend appeared in the hallway with her hands on her hips, indignant.

"I am not getting it on with him!" she hotly denied, raking her fingers through her semi dry hair and walking over to Alan. "Maybe if you paid more attention to me I wouldn't be wandering with my eyes!"  
He stopped and glared at her. "So you are getting it on with that idiot art gallery owner! The guy's nuts!"

"He pays attention to me, Alan!" she retorted. "He sees me like a lady, a true one with sexual desires and he would know how to please me. We've been dating over two months now and you don't... you're not physically demonstrative towards me. I need affection! I need some physical assurance that you still find me attractive!"

"You're getting it from him so you don't need me!" hazel eyes glaring nastily at her, Alan turned his back and left, slamming her door shut loudly.

"That's not what I meant!" she started, then stopped. "Moron. If he can't understand what I want, more's the pity." it was something her aunt said many times over the course of her life and as she got older, she understood the saying completely.

Turning, she went into her workroom and began to bury herself in work. An amp needed rewiring and that was going to take most of her time. The young engineer always buried herself in work whenever she was troubled as a means to distract herself from her woes.

At the same time, Alan couldn't be so complacent. He drove home, nearly sideswiping an old Chevy, yelled obscenities to a rude biker who kept cutting him off, and badmouthed several pedestrians walking on the sidewalk.

Finally arriving at his apartment, he stomped upstairs, let himself in, threw his keys down on the table, then plopped himself down on the couch.

"That jerk," he muttered, draping one hand over his eyes. "he's got some balls to go after my girl."  
Remembering the scene, Alan groaned and tried to will himself away from thinking about it.

While performing with the Blues Brothers band on a gig in Calumet city, he'd come out of the side door from the stage area, looking for Melody and wondering if she wanted to grab a drink with him. Mopping his face with a towel, he slung it over his shoulder and walked down the alleyway.

Turning the corner, he saw Melody with another man. He was about 6 feet tall, fat, wearing a tie-dyed shirt and cutoff jeans. The guy had dark brown hair in a crewcut, and wire rimmed glasses. Melody was giggling while the guy wrapped his arms around her and began speaking into her ear.

Jaw falling to the ground, Alan quickly pulled himself out of his shock and went back inside to the hot atmosphere of the club. Sinking down into a chair, his mind replayed the image over and over until break time was over. During the rest of the night, he found that he could barely look at Melody at all. She was acting like nothing had happened, but to Alan, his world had just come to a screeching halt.  
The very next day, Alan had seen the guy walking around on the street with some other girl. To him, the guy was a player and would have several girls all at once, though he saw no need to tell Melody. She had to figure that one out by herself.

When they'd gone out on a date that night, Alan had difficulty coming up with conversation topics, but Melody had steered him in one direction early on. She'd told him that she had met an art gallery owner who was interested in showcasing her photography.

Who was this guy? he'd questioned.

Eric Meade, she had told him.

Alan had known of Eric Meade, a local hotshot guy who was a leftover hippie from the flower years. Meade ran the gallery while his sister Lucinda Holt owned a few flower shops in the west and east ends of the city. Meade was a character, but by all accounts he'd heard, the guy was as crazy as they came. Alan had heard Duck talking to Steve about Meade once. The bass player had reluctantly let his daughter go out with Meade and she had regretted it the second she had gotten home.

Duck had told him that she had said Meade tried to grope her, initiate foreplay, though it was only a first date. When she tried to stop him, he replied that it meant she wanted more so he started acting more obscene. It wasn't until she had the sense to get out of his car and hide in the bushes did she realize what a pervert he was. Meade had just left her there in the forest and she walked home, unable to shake the memory of him nearly raping her.

The guy was a womanizer, Alan reasoned. Loved 'em and left 'em. He honestly did not see why Melody liked the man at all.

About two weeks later, Melody's showcase was up and running, Alan was admiring it when he heard her giggling from the back room. Walking in, he saw them in an embrace much like before, and later on after supper, he confronted her.

Melody's reaction had been predictable, telling him about her needs and what he wasn't doing for her that Meade would do. Not wanting to hear any of that, he cut off her tirade before it got started, broke off the relationship, and left.

For the next month, Melody had begun seeing Meade on an almost daily basis. Alan was out in the recording studio doing work for some freelance artists and one of them had convinced him to go and see a musical exhibit at the Meade gallery. Reluctantly he did so, hoping that Melody and her new boy toy wasn't there.

Bad luck for him that both of them were smooching and giggling in the far corner where nobody could see them. Alan ignored them and checked out the exhibit all the while his heart was sinking, seeing them in the corner of his eye.

"Who's that guy?" Meade had asked, slightly turning up his nose.

"My ex." Melody had her hand on Meade's pants. "Don't start any trouble."

"Me? Would I do that to you?" they resumed their makeout session and Alan couldn't take any more. He left, disgusted by how fast Melody had moved on. There had been some interest in his direction by other women, but he had the annoying habit of seeing Melody's face on each one of the women.

He was pining for her now and seeing her with her new boy toy getting cozy made him mad. Alan decided to exact revenge and snared the first available female he could find. He took her to the gallery where Meade and Melody were still smooching. Even though he and the lady did genuinely like each other, neither one of them went beyond handholding, much to his consternation. The trumpet player did want to show Melody that he was moving on as well, but the lady told him she liked him as a friend and there was no chemistry between them.

They dated for a total of two weeks and then vowed to stay friends. Alan liked her, but she had been right about them not having a spark or chemistry.

One night Alan was up late, thinking about Melody as he couldn't sleep. He got up and put his robe on, then pulled down a picture album. The trumpet player had taken her on tour with him a few times in the past and she had loved every minute of it. They had made out in several places, though they mutually weren't ready for the real sexual relationship.

It was funny, but as Melody had lambasted him for not being more open with her, physically demonstrative and the like, he had been about to take her to bed with him and rock her world. Spectacularly bad timing on her part, though. If she only knew.

That same night, Melody was about to walk into the gallery when she saw Meade and some blonde woman standing in the foyer, apparently making out. Her heart sank in a hurry as Meade turned to face her.

"Get out," he said rudely. "you're old news and you won't have sex with me."

"Wha-" Melody's jaw fell open. "You!"

"I said OUT!" he shouted. "Freeloader! You cost me money every time you come in here."

"I do no such thing! I add to the clientele because I'm a hot piece of ass! You said so yourself." she defended while the blonde smirked. People had always said that Meade was a good guy, yet they never elaborated. Melody had wondered why that was, but she was finding out first hand now.  
"I only said that so you'd let me do things to you." there was a vacant look in his eyes which made Melody think that there wasn't anyone home in the head. She knew he had a disease in his brain and now she wasn't sure if it was the disease or if he'd always been a slimeball.

"Didn't get you very far, did it?" she smiled in retaliation as he turned red in the face. "You couldn't get my motor running at all. You don't have what it takes."

"Get out! Before I call the cops!"

"Gladly," Melody smirked as it began to rain. "have fun and go lock yourself up at the ha ha house. You need some R&R with the other loonies in rubber rooms."

Steam nearly poured out of his ears if that was humanly possible. He grabbed her arm, giving her a nasty bruise and she retaliated by giving him a vicious punch in the face, breaking his nose.

"Self defense. Go fuck yourself. By the way darlin'," she said to the blonde barbie. "he's only for himself and nobody else. He'll spurn you like he did me. No wonder he's all alone and only thinks with his dick. Just ask his ex wife and ex girlfriend."

"You told me you weren't married!" the barbie sputtered indignantly. Melody laughed wickedly and walked away.

Her gleefulness evaporated as soon as she turned onto a different street. Rain pelted down and thunder rumbled in the distance as she found herself going to Alan's apartment building and knocking on his door.

Her old boyfriend wore a look of bewilderment at the sight of her, sopping wet on his doormat. "Hi, Alan."

"What happened to you?" he snorted and brought a tissue up to his nose. Melody noted that Alan had a faint flush to his cheeks and saw that he was sick with a head cold.

"Meade dumped me," she said forlornly.

"Tell me the whole story." they parked on his couch after Alan draped a towel over her shoulders. Melody told him the entire story, how Meade had picked her up one night at a diner after breaking up with Alan, how he made her feel like a special lady.

"I knew even then that something wasn't right with him," she confided. "there's no sense of humanity behind his eyes at all. He has no spirit and really no personality at all. All he wanted was as many girls to bang to he could."

"Why exactly did he pick you? Didn't he know you were with me?"

"I said I was just coming off a breakup and he wanted to be the rebound man. Anyway, he was all about the physically demonstrative, but there was no connection between us. Not like the one we have."

"I see. He's not a smart person and I know he's prone to violence."

"So I found out. He's just another guy wanting some free sex off of some harlot wandering around," she leaned into Alan with a smug grin. "he didn't get that far with me. Got tired of waiting because I wouldn't do any more than give him a hand job."

"You have integrity and that is what a guy like him hates." Alan coughed raspily into his hand. "Go get changed and put those clothes in the washer. I still have a few of your things you left here."

"Does that mean you're forgiving me?"

Alan smiled and chucked her under the chin. "Absolutely. Your revenge was not giving him what he wanted so it's all the more sweeter."

"Just as long as we're clear."

"You're forgiven. I'd be more physically demonstrative, but I'm ill at the moment. I'm sure you understand."

"Absolutely."

During the next few days, Alan was still sick and Melody stopped by every night for a few hours to check in on him and make sure he was comfortable.

Two weeks later they were at the airport, getting ready to go on a gig with one of the bands Alan worked for when they noticed Meade and the blonde barbie at one of the gates. They seemed to be arguing and the barbie stomped away.

"Trouble in paradise?" Alan nudged Melody and they smirked. The barbie stomped past them, then stopped and gave Melody a look.

"You were right," the barbie told her. "just wants sex. I wanted the honest relationship but he wasn't going to go that far with me. He seems to have a revolving door full of women."

"You'll find someone." Melody said confidently.

"I see you did. Congrats."

"Thanks. He's the best." they engaged in a smooch while Meade walked by, muttering to himself. He saw them as the barbie walked away.

"Get a room!"

They broke the kiss as Alan hollered back. "Get a girl!" Melody laughed as the intercom announced their flight was boarding.

"People who think with their downstairs regions will permanently be alone," Alan announced casually as he strapped himself into the seat on the plane. "you had high expectations that only I can fill for you."

"I'm very glad for you." they kissed as the announcements began.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Broken/The Death Of Alan's Father

About two months after the Meade debacle, Melody was feeling a bit guilty about her conduct towards Alan so she went to his apartment one night before he came home with a special plan in mind. She stowed her jacket and purse in the hall closet, then got to work making up a special supper for them both. It was Valentine's Day and she had prepared the supper earlier at her flat, now she was reheating it and setting the table. Alan had been so good to her after the Meade incident and she thought he deserved some romancing.

With a mischievous smile on her face, she set up a romantic candlelight supper, putting her culinary and artistic skills to work. Alan was arriving a little later than usual due to a late rehearsal, so she knew he would be surprised. He had surprised her recently with a visit to her apartment, engulfing her in a big romantic hug and a kiss, had picked her up completely and brought her to her bedroom. What had followed then was their first sexual liaison in which they identified what each one liked and didn't like in the sack. It was trial and error, but in the end they found common ground.

Both of them knew the first time was mostly trial and error, so Melody was going to take it up a few notches. Alan's friend Lew had been in on her plan, and he stalled Alan for about half an hour so Melody could get her premade supper ready, then pose at the door for Alan with a bottle of inexpensive champagne in her hand.

"I hope he appreciates this..." she uncorked the bottle and poured out a measure into each champagne flutes.

Alan tramped upstairs to his apartment door, taking his hands out of his pockets and blowing on them. A cold snap had hit the city hard, so he was extra glad to get home in one piece and only moderately cold. The trumpet player pulled out his key and put it in the lock, surprised to find that it was already open.

"The hell?" he cautiously poked at the door as it swung open, creaking ominously.

"Come on in, sexy," Melody cloaked herself in a shadow and as the door opened up and Alan walked in, she emerged wearing a low cut dark blue top with dropped sleeves and a short leather skirt. "I hope this night makes you happy."

"Wow..." Alan trailed off when he saw that the table was set up, the smells making him salivate. "Can I have you for the dessert?"

Melody giggled as she walked over to him, handing him a champagne flute. "We can have dessert together if you know what I mean?"

"Oh, I'm so intrigued..." he gave her a long kiss. "Let's save the champagne for later, shall we?"

"Now I'm intrigued." she chuckled as they went over to the table.

* * *

When supper was finished, Alan picked up the champagne bottle, motioned for Melody to stand up, then gestured towards the bedroom.  
"Come on, the dishes can wait." joining hands with her, he steered them into the bedroom. Once they were inside, Alan pretended to accidentally spill a bit of champagne on Melody's bosom, playfully licking it off as she laughed. Alan was welded to her now so he turned her around and backed her onto the bed, straddling her.

"I'm supposed to ravish you!" she protested with a smile, her long fingers snaking down and untucking his shirt as he unbuttoned hers.  
"It's all mutual," Alan said breathlessly. There was a small box of Melody's favorite aphrodisiac, chocolate covered strawberries on one of the nightstands. The trumpet player grabbed one, yanked out the crown, then put it between her teeth. Both of them worked their way through it until their lips met. Melody sat up for a brief moment as he took her outfit off of her and her fingers found his fly and button, undoing them in one swift movement.

When Alan had to dismount her to get his pants off, Melody worked her skirt off of her and as soon as he was back, she flipped him onto his back in one smooth motion.

"Whoa!"

"My turn!"

When it was over, Melody and Alan were both breathing hard and lying back on the bed. Alan turned on his side to look at his girlfriend, enjoying the fact that it was he who made her breathless and sweaty. She had made him feel very much like a man that night, ravishing him in ways he'd never known before. He'd asked her why she wasn't this way with him on the first night, and she'd told him that she wasn't going to give it all away in their first night together. It made sense, he had to allow that much. Melody turned her head to look at him, he gave her a wink.

With a grunt of pleasure, Melody got on top of Alan after she got her breath back and combed her fingers through his dark hair. The engineer was so beautiful to him, the sweat enticing her curves beautifully in the low light from the streetlamp across the street. He traced a faint vein in her neck, drawing her down to meet his kiss.

"I didn't know you were so wild," he remarked, relishing the attention she was bestowing upon him now. Catching her hand, he smooched her fingertips. "didn't know you had it in you."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me." she folded her arms on his front, putting her chin down on top of her wrists, giving him a beguiling look.

"I know more about you now!" he laughed as she necked him, taking a little half melted chocolate and smearing it on his lips. Melody kissed him, licking it off.

"Mm hmmm. You know some more about me behind closed doors."

"You're a wild one."

"You can't tame me." she smirked, tracing his jawline with one finger and gently necking him right near his carotid artery. He felt a rush of blood and an involuntary reflex action take shape. Melody noticed of course, sliding her hands down to find what she wanted.  
Alan necked her back. "I don't want to. If I wanted to change you, I'd be a complete idiot."

Melody smiled and kissed him deeply. She hadn't seen Meade since that day at the airport, but knew through the news that he'd been arrested for his apparent pedophilia. The guy was a creep and he liked little girls which was very inappropriate. A young ten year old girl had run out of his art gallery, crying that he had touched her in a "special place". Meade was arrested and the gallery was seized by the police.

"Oh, I think you're a total hunk, Alan." Melody gave him a lustful look. "What do you say we switch it up a little bit?"

"I'm game. What have you got in mind?" the trumpet player lowered his voice a bit in order to try to sound more sexy for her. Melody just laughed.

"You'll see." she grinned wickedly and lowered her head...

* * *

At about 4 AM that morning, Alan and Melody were asleep in each other's arms when the phone rang. The trumpet player jerked awake with a grunt, then reached for the phone he kept on his nightstand.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Rubin?"

"Yes."

"Hi, I'm Paul Endicott from your father's assisted living facility."

"Something wrong?"

"Um, I don't know how to tell you but your father has died about 10 minutes ago."

Alan felt like he'd been hit with a very heavy object and he suddenly felt cold all over. "How?"

"He was ill for a long time, Mr. Rubin. Your dad was going to call you tomorrow just to catch up, but he woke up around midnight, summoned me, and he died. He just had the knowledge that it was the end of the road for him and he was ready to go."

"Um, wow. Thanks for telling me. I'll fly down there today and get things ready."

"OK. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." he hung up the phone and exhaled sharply, rousing Melody.

"What is it, hon?" she put her arm around his shoulders, a little taken aback when he dived into her, spluttering out that his father had died. "Oh Alan, hon..." Melody took him in her arms and allowed him to cry it all out. "I'll take care of the plane tickets, Alan. I want you to rest."  
When he was done, he looked up at his girlfriend with red eyes. "Thanks."

"Anytime." Melody rose, cleaned up his face, then put him to bed like he was a little child. Her romantic night had ended well, but that morning would be hell for him. She remembered when she lost her aunt, feeling devastated followed by periods of numbness. The numbness allowed her to do what needed to be done and doubtless Alan was going down the same path.

"I've gotta get things together now," she muttered after making sure that Alan was asleep. Packing up their things, she booked two round trip tickets to Sarasota on a redeye flight that would leave at 11 AM.

Melody roused Alan at 9, got him to have a little breakfast, then got them on the flight in plenty of time. Alan was definitely in the numb stage now, hardly letting go of Melody's hand. She guessed he was reliving the times with his father in his mind, so she let him relive them in his mind for the majority of the flight.

Finally they touched down at the airport, then the duo booked at hotel room for that week at a low key place, then Alan took Melody over to the assisted living facility.

"Dad's lived here for about 6 years," he explained as he unlocked the front door and opened it up. "he was happy here."

"It's a cheerful place," the home was done in bright yellow and white colors, palm trees in tubs and several geranium plants graced the one level house. "those were my mom's favorite." several pictures littered the mantelpiece in gilt frames, a small 4 piece dinette set was in the kitchen and an electronic keyboard had been plugged into the wall near the couch.

"I can see why. They're so hardy and can survive almost anything." Melody loved geraniums as well, fingering the nearest one and smelling the rich perfume it emanated.

"Well, let's get his will read and done, then we can get other things started." Alan crossed over to the den, opened up the closet door and found a small safe in the back. He expertly entered the combination, the lock clicked open, then he pulled out a manila envelope. Sitting on his father's old recliner, he opened it up and drew out the notarized paper.

"Basic," he commented after reading it. "box up the stuff, keep whatever we want, sell the house and use the proceeds as we like."

"Did he have a life insurance policy?"

"Yep," another sheet of paper fell out of the envelope. "He was insured for about 80 grand."

"Wow, decent."

"He believed in being prepared. Boy scout you know."

"I bet. Do you want me with you while you pick out the casket?"

"I would prefer it." he squeezed her hand.

* * *

Two days later it was time for the funeral. Melody tied Alan's tie after convincing him that it wasn't necessary to wear all black to a funeral anymore. He had put on a green shirt in memory of his father, as that was his dad's favorite color. When Melody's aunt died, she had chosen to honor her aunt's memory the same way Alan did with the color purple.

"He was so proud of you and always will be." Melody wasn't going to the funeral and she would be a discreet distance away from the burial as well. She hadn't met Alan's father and knew that it wouldn't be appropriate for her to attend.

"I know. I talked about you a lot when he called," Alan allowed her to put her hands on his. "he always said he wanted to meet you sometime if you and I ever came down."

"I would have liked that. Anyway, come on." being distracted by his father's death, Melody was appointed to drive him from the church to the cemetery. He got into the rental Camry as Melody climbed in and started it up.

Time passed until she was standing beside the car at the cemetery. When all the people began to leave, she approached Alan who edged over to her as the funeral director and the groundskeeper prepared the burial. Melody stood next to the casket and put a single red rose on the casket before the funeral director had the vault lid put on. Together the couple stood by the car as the groundskeeper and the funeral director put the lid on, removed the lowering device and using a lifting arm at the back of the vault truck, lifted up the vault and lowered it into the hole in the ground.

"Come on, hon," Melody bundled him into the car. "remember the good times."

The trumpet player said nothing as they continued to box up his father's worldly possessions, saving a few sentimental items. Melody came upon a picture of Alan and his father that she spirited away in her luggage furtively. Alan went through his father's finances and got that situated with a lawyer, sold off his father's ancient Buick, then scheduled a buyer from a consignment shop to come and buy what they wanted from the estate.

It took another week to get everything sold off or shipped home. Alan had no siblings so he worked with Melody's help. She coaxed him to take breaks, to eat properly, and supported him unfailingly when he shed a few tears. One night she had awakened to find Alan was sitting by the window as rain crashed down and thunder rumbled. Melody liked thunderstorms and knew that Alan did too. She got up and stood next to him, not saying anything. A lightning flash lit up the room for a second, giving Melody enough time to see that Alan was silently weeping. She edged over and put her arm around him. The trumpet player surrendered to her touch easily, putting his head on her breast as thunder rumbled overhead. Melody enfolded him in her arms as she watched the storm, wishing that she could ease her boyfriend's pain. The engineer's eyes searched the sky like it could give her answers as the storm dissipated. She guided Alan back to bed, allowing him to curl up next to her with his head still on her breast.

Finally they were on their way back to Calumet city. The estate had been left to the care of his father's lawyer and there was nothing else to do. Still numb, Alan continued on his life but Melody could sense that he was sliding into a deep depression.

Standing on the sidelines, Melody watched as Alan sank deeper into his depression, hardly seemed to notice her anymore, and didn't like to leave his apartment aside from work.

One day while Melody was at home doing repair work, she got a call from Alan's friend Lew, causing her to drop a hot soldering iron and swear like a sailor. Fumbling with her now burned right index and middle fingers, she picked up her phone and answered.

"Hey Lew, how are you?" getting up from her desk, she pulled out her first aid kit and got out a bandage. Tearing open the wrapping, she clumsily bandaged it.

"Hi, Mel. I wanted to ask first of all how did your romantic night go?"

"Very well," she flushed a little bit and Lew laughed. "so what's up?"

"Alan's just cracked up I think. Everyone grieves differently but I think he might need some professional help."

"I noticed it. He hardly even looks at me anymore and doesn't like to go out."

"His performance here was a lackluster today and he needs to rekindle his fire."

"I'll see what I can do." she promised, saying goodbye to Lew. Melody inspected her wounds, bandaging them the best that she could, then grabbed her coat and headed out the door after unplugging the soldering iron.

* * *

At the same time, Alan was sitting on his couch, looking out the window. The reality of his father's death hit him hard and he now realized how pointless his life was. People came and went, he would eventually shuffle off his own mortal coil. It was startling really as to how much he thought about death recently, as he rarely thought about anything else. Even in his work where he usually played with a lot of fire and passion, it had dulled down.

Even Melody herself was as sweet as usual, but he was besieged with the feeling that he wasn't good enough for her and there was someone better for her out there in the future. What did she see in him anyway? When he had met her, he had been a bit repulsed by her personality, but something attracted him to her, her mere presence was like a drug to him. Alan found his mind was taken over by her as she continued to be a part of his life.

His musings were stopped when there was a knock on the door. Before he could get up, the lock clicked and Melody strode in. She took off her green windbreaker, hung it up, then walked over to Alan sternly. The engineer plainly recognized the blank look on his face, as it had plagued her several times after her aunt's death. He was withdrawing into himself and soon he would be too depressed to leave the apartment.  
"All right, Alan. I've made an appointment for you with a shrink," she announced. "let's go."

"Why?"

"Because you need help that I can't give you. You think I like seeing you like this? Sitting around and watching your life go by without you? Lew called me and said that your performance today totally sucked ass. You think you'll last long without profession?"

"Oh come on!"

"No, you come on! Something has to get through to you eventually! You're grieving and that's fine, but there comes a time you have to continue on with your normal life. It's fine to feel depressed and still grieve, but you still need to live."

"And what then?" he lashed out. "What happens when I'm gone? Would anyone remember me even?"

"Are you mad? When you're gone, we still have all these fabulous recordings of you doing your art justice! You blow pure soul into that horn and it's an extension of yourself. You are a great man, Alan. You forget one other thing-if you cease to exist, I do too in a sense."

Melody knew that Alan was feeling like he didn't have a reason to go on and had lost pleasure in most of his activities, so she tried tethering him to her in a metaphorical way. Surely enough, he looked at her like she was out of her mind.

"What?"

"You can't walk out of my life, Alan. You and me are together and we make each other happy. If you suddenly depart, I would be grieving for your loss and I've already lost too many people in my lifetime." her face darkened.

Alan's face drained of color, remembering Melody's past. She stared at him, seemingly emotionless, waiting for him to make the next move. He got up and went over to her, wrapping her up in his arms and giving her a deep kiss.

"I'm sorry," pulling apart, he still held her hands. "it's been hard on you too, I think."

She sniggered. "Watching you just sink into your depression and grief without me to help you qualifies as being hard on me."

"OK. Come on, let's go."

* * *

Two weeks of intensive therapy followed. One night Melody was lying on her bed in the late afternoon, exhausted from running all over town to do last minute repairs. She fell asleep for about an hour, rousing only when Alan came in.

"Mel? Oh." he glanced into the bedroom. The trumpet player felt more like his old self now, looking more perky and joking around like before. She heard him come into the room and felt the mattress sag as he sat down next to her. He brushed aside her hair away from her face,

leaned over, and kissed her. "All tired out from putting up with me, eh?"

She grunted a response, already falling back into sleep.

Alan had become so mired down in his own grief that he'd forgotten about Melody and her previous experience. She'd once told him that she had spent several weeks grieving, her mind turning to depression and had horrible dreams of suicide and death. It frightened her, so she made up her mind to get help.

Melody had told him that he followed the same route that she did, it was like she was reliving her past all over again. She had been a bit emotional telling him that, so Alan took her into his arms for a change. The engineer had only a few tears to spare, but being with Alan helped her tremendously.

"Think I'll get supper going." Alan couldn't resist kissing Melody on her lips. He was gratified when he saw the corners of her lips turn up in a slight smile.


End file.
